System, method and storage medium for generating a commission link

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment is a system, method and storage medium for generating a commission link. The system includes an affiliate host system for presenting a user with a link to a first location having a corresponding coded link to a second location, receiving an input based on the user's selection of the link to the first location, connecting the user to the second location, connecting the user to the first location after a selected period at the second location and receiving a commission based on connecting the user to the second location. A network is coupled to the affiliate host system, and an affiliate database is couple to the affiliate host system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for generating a commission link in a computer network, the system comprising: 
 an affiliate host system for presenting a user with a link to a first location having a corresponding coded link to a second location, receiving an input based on said user's selection of said link to said first location, connecting said user to said second location, connecting said user to said first location after a selected period at said second location and receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said second location;    a network coupled to said affiliate host system; and    an affiliate database couple to said affiliate host system.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further including: 
 a user system coupled to said network; and    said user system accessing said affiliate host system via said network.    
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further including: 
 a merchant host system coupled to said network; and    said affiliate host system accessing said merchant host system via said network.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further including a merchant database coupled to said merchant host system.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further including: 
 an affiliate network host system coupled to said network;    a merchant host system coupled to said network;    said affiliate host system accessing said affiliate network host system via said network; and    said affiliate network host system accessing said merchant host system via said network.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further including: 
 an affiliate network database coupled to said affiliate network host system; and    a merchant database coupled to said merchant network host system.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said coded link is received from an online merchant for identifying an affiliate directing said user to said online merchant.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said coded link includes a Uniform Resource Locator for said online merchant's home page in combination with a code identifying said affiliate.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said coded link is received from an affiliate network for identifying an affiliate directing said user to said online merchant.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said coded link includes a Uniform Resource Locator for said affiliate network and said online merchant's home page in combination with a code identifying said affiliate.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said link to said first location is an un-coded link to a page on said online merchant's site.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said connecting said user to said second location and said connecting said user to said first location includes: 
 creating a frameset in said user's browser;    wherein said frameset comprises a first frame for displaying descriptive information about an item at said first location and a second frame for displaying one or more pages from said online merchant's site;    connecting said user to said online merchant's home page via said coded link; and    connecting said user to said online merchant's page containing said item after said selected period at said online merchant's home page.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said selected period is 5 seconds.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said connecting said user to said second location and said connecting said user to said first location includes: 
 creating a frameset in said user's browser;    wherein said frameset comprises a first frame for displaying descriptive information about an item at said first location and a second frame for displaying one or more pages from said online merchant's site;    connecting said user to said affiliate network's Web site and then to said online merchant's home page via said coded link; and    connecting said user to said online merchant's page containing said item after said selected period at said online merchant's home page.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said selected period is 5 seconds.  
     
     
         16 . A system for generating a commission link in a computer network, the system comprising: 
 an affiliate host system for generating a list of one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links, presenting said list of one or more merchant links to a user, receiving an input based on said user's selection from said list of one or more merchant links, connecting said user to a coded link corresponding to said input connecting said user to said selection after a selected period at said coded link and receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said coded link;    a network coupled to said affiliate host system; and    an affiliate database couple to said affiliate host system.    
     
     
         17 . A system for generating a commission link in a computer network, the system comprising: 
 an affiliate host system for presenting one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links to a first user, receiving one or more first inputs based on said first user's selection of said one or more merchant links, generating a merchant link list based on said one or more first inputs, presenting said merchant link list to a second user, receiving a second input based on said second user's selection from said merchant link list, connecting said second user to a coded link corresponding to said second input, connecting said second user to said second user's selection after a selected period at said coded link and receiving a commission based on said connecting said second user to said coded link;    a network coupled to said affiliate host system; and    an affiliate database couple to said affiliate host system.    
     
     
         18 . A method for generating a commission link in a computer network, the method comprising: 
 presenting a user with a link to a first location having a corresponding coded link to a second location;    receiving an input based on said user's selection of said link to said first location;    connecting said user to said second location;    connecting said user to said first location after a selected period at said second location; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said second location.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said coded link is received from an online merchant for identifying an affiliate directing said user to said online merchant.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said coded link includes a Uniform Resource Locator for said online merchant's home page in combination with a code identifying said affiliate.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said coded link is received from an affiliate network for identifying an affiliate directing said user to said online merchant.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said coded link includes a Uniform Resource Locator for said affiliate network and said online merchant's home page in combination with a code identifying said affiliate.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said link to said first location is an un-coded link to a page on said online merchant's site.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said connecting said user to said second location and said connecting said user to said first location includes: 
 creating a frameset in said user's browser;    wherein said frameset comprises a first frame for displaying descriptive information about an item at said first location and a second frame for displaying one or more pages from said online merchant's site;    connecting said user to said online merchant's home page via said coded link; and    connecting said user to said online merchant's page containing said item after said selected period at said online merchant's home page.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said selected period is 5 seconds.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said connecting said user to said second location and said connecting said user to said first location includes: 
 creating a frameset in said user's browser;    wherein said frameset comprises a first frame for displaying descriptive information about an item at said first location and a second frame for displaying one or more pages from said online merchant's site;    connecting said user to said affiliate network's Web site and then to said online merchant's home page via said coded link; and    connecting said user to said online merchant's page containing said item after said selected period at said online merchant's home page.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said selected period is 5 seconds.  
     
     
         28 . A method for generating a commission link in a computer network, the method comprising: 
 generating a list of one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links;    presenting said list of one or more merchant links to a user;    receiving an input based on said user's selection from said list of one or more merchant links;    connecting said user to a coded link corresponding to said input;    connecting said user to said selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said coded link.    
     
     
         29 . A method for generating a commission link in a computer network, the method comprising: 
 presenting one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links to a first user;    receiving one or more first inputs based on said first user's selection of said one or more merchant links;    generating a merchant link list based on said one or more first inputs;    presenting said merchant link list to a second user;    receiving a second input based on said second user's selection from said merchant link list;    connecting said second user to a coded link corresponding to said second input;    connecting said second user to said second user's selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said second user to said coded link.    
     
     
         30 . A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for generating a commission link in a computer network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 presenting a user with a link to a first location having a corresponding coded link to a second location;    receiving an input based on said user's selection of said link to said first location;    connecting said user to said second location;    connecting said user to said first location after a selected period at said second location; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said second location.    
     
     
         31 . A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for generating a commission link in a computer network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 generating a list of one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links;    presenting said list of one or more merchant links to a user;    receiving an input based on said user's selection from said list of one or more merchant links;    connecting said user to a coded link corresponding to said input;    connecting said user to said selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said coded link.    
     
     
         32 . A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for generating a commission link in a computer network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 presenting one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links to a first user;    receiving one or more first inputs based on said first user's selection of said one or more merchant links;    generating a merchant link list based on said one or more first inputs;    presenting said merchant link list to a second user;    receiving a second input based on said second user's selection from said merchant link list;    connecting said second user to a coded link corresponding to said second input;    connecting said second user to said second user's selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said second user to said coded link.    
     
     
         33 . A computer data signal for generating a commission link in a computer network, said computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 presenting a user with a link to a first location having a corresponding coded link to a second location;    receiving an input based on said user's selection of said link to said first location;    connecting said user to said second location;    connecting said user to said first location after a selected period at said second location; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said second location.    
     
     
         34 . The computer data signal of  claim 33 , wherein said computer data signal is embodied in a carrier wave.  
     
     
         35 . The computer data signal of  claim 33 , wherein said computer data signal is unmodulated.  
     
     
         36 . A computer data signal for generating a commission link in a computer network, said computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 generating a list of one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links;    presenting said list of one or more merchant links to a user;    receiving an input based on said user's selection from said list of one or more merchant links;    connecting said user to a coded link corresponding to said input;    connecting said user to said selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said user to said coded link.    
     
     
         37 . The computer data signal of  claim 36 , wherein said computer data signal is embodied in a carrier wave.  
     
     
         38 . The computer data signal of  claim 36 , wherein said computer data signal is unmodulated.  
     
     
         39 . A computer data signal for generating a commission link in a computer network, said computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method comprising: 
 presenting one or more merchant links having one or more corresponding coded links to a first user;    receiving one or more first inputs based on said first user's selection of said one or more merchant links;    generating a merchant link list based on said one or more first inputs;    presenting said merchant link list to a second user;    receiving a second input based on said second user's selection from said merchant link list;    connecting said second user to a coded link corresponding to said second input;    connecting said second user to said second user's selection after a selected period at said coded link; and    receiving a commission based on said connecting said second user to said coded link.    
     
     
         40 . The computer data signal of  claim 39 , wherein said computer data signal is embodied in a carrier wave.  
     
     
         41 . The computer data signal of  claim 39 , wherein said computer data signal is unmodulated.